History of Diepsloot Ministry A ward of the Reformed church Randburg

Diepsloot from 1950’s Kotie Viljoen and his sons Frikkie, Piet en Kotie (jnr.) owned the Witkoppen farm (yes, the same through which Witkoppen Drive currently runs), north of Johannesburg, during the first half of the previous century. The farm fell within the borders of RC Krugersdorp, but when the RC Linden broke away from RC Johannesburg North in 1950 the area was allocated to Linden and the brothers of this family joined the Linden Church Council.

Diepsloot from 1950’s The Viljoens soon felt obliged to establish a ministry amongst their farm workers and a stone church was built, on Brother Piet’s farm. Brother Frikkie led the services and catechism, aided by an interpreter, elder Thomas Maphosa. Farm workers from all over the district showed up for church.

Diepsloot from 1950’s The Viljoens and their workers made the move to the Reformed Church Randburg, when it broke away from RC Linden. Rev. Michiel Venter and a number of elders regularly led services here and before long the Randburg Church Council established a missionary congregation in Witkoppen. Probationer Joseph Kgama was called as minister and Brother van Achterberg erected a small rectory beside the church hall.

Diepsloot from 1950’s The congregation experienced a growth spurt with the Tswana ministry, but soon Rev. Kgama was called to Potchefstroom to translate the hymnal into Setswana. This was a heavy blow to the ministry, even with the aid of the ‘‘tokkelokke’’ (theology students) from the Hammanskraal Theological School.

Diepsloot from 1950’s Meanwhile the RC Randburg established an Afrikaans ministry in Riverlea and the RC Linden resumed their assistance of Witkoppen. Encroaching urban dwellings and tar roads led Piet Viljoen to sell his farm in Witkoppen and buy land in Diepsloot. A town was established in Witkoppen and the farms disappeared one after the other, together with the farm workers. Those who remained continued with services in Witkoppen primary school’s hall, but that also gradually petered out.

Diepsloot from 1950’s The Viljoens once again jumped in and held church services for the farm workers in Diepsloot, on Brother Piet’s new farm. Elder Maphosa also moved to Diepsloot and was of great assistance. When Brother Piet sold his Diepsloot farm, years later, the ministry under the farm workers faltered and for a time no services were held.

Diepsloot from 1950’s A few years later it resumed, this time on the Diepsloot farm of Brother Kotie (jnr.) and where Elder Maphosa took up employment. Services were held in the barn and Rev. Ben de Klerk, of Randburg East, helped organise church pews.

Diepsloot from 1950’s Shortly thereafter shacks started popping up, where William Nicol Drive crosses the Krugersdorp highway. The farming conditions became increasingly challenging, due to the influx of new and hungry neighbours. Soon all farming activities came to an end and the farm workers also left one after another. New members from surrounding shacks, who hailed from Polokwane, Zimbabwe and as far as Malawi, reported for church.

Diepsloot from 1950’s In the late nineties the farms in Diepsloot were systematically turned into RDP housing and even more people streamed into the area. This necessitated the Randburg Church councils to urgently review the Diepsloot ministry and Brother Francois Meiring donated an old barn and two outbuildings to the church.

Diepsloot from 1950’s The matchbox houses came rolling over the hills ever more rapidly, by 2003, making ministry opportunities and needs all the greater. Over that period the Melville Doppers merged with the current Randburg congregation and Rev. Koos Saayman’s arrival was a Godsend: ‘‘Dopper dominees’’ able to lead services in English are quite rare. He enthusiastically jumped in and started to organise the growing congregation.

RDP HOUSES IN DIEPSLOOT

Diepsloot from 1950’s Due to the involvement of Mr Hannes Malan; Pieter Koekemoer; Gerrit Venter and many more others Randburg shortly thereafter integrated Diepsloot as a ward into the congregation and transformed the barn, through quite a bit of renovation, into a church hall. In 2007 the church council decided to call a Tswana-speaking minister for Diepsloot. Dr. Kwena Semenya of Atteridgeville accepted the calling.

INSIDE DIEPSLOOT CHURCH

Our Mission To proclaim the gospel and also to introduce others to the Lord (John 1:35-42)

Our Vision We want to become the best church, in which Christ is the center of our hearts. We want to develop and equip members biblically. We want to be compassionate towards one another. We want to be dynamic in witnessing and also be committed to discipleship.

Current conditions in Diepsloot Crime rate is very high. Councilors and the Police are doing their utmost to curb and to control crime. Community Policing Forum has been established Neighborhood watch committees are also in place

Religion Despite the unhappiness that is happening in Diepsloot. Most of the people are church- goers One see wealth of love, compassion and the presence of the Holy Spirit The are different kinds of churches from Doppers to the ART’s as well as ZCC and Shembe churches usually worshiping in the open veld opposite Diepsloot Mall

The Church in Diepsloot Dr Semenya Administrator Johanah Modige Sophy Moholoholo Cleaner Mr Sebola Gardener Apprentice Tshediso; Peter, Robert Mothibi Students

Diepsloot Service Apprentices Students Administrator Cleaners

Networking Project Andrew: This is the project where we encourage members to engage with community members. It relies on what happened in John 1: 35 -42 whereby Andrew after hearing John’s message he went to find his brother Simon Peter and tell him about good news about the messiah.

Maintaining our members The I.C.A.S Method

Spiritual Up-liftment of our members We have service groups We hold mini-conferences We have church camps

Worship services Sermons are conducted in the Sotho languages and also in English. We also have special services like: Heritage day celebration services Garden church services Youth Day church service Mothers/fathers day services A special fellowship service once a year

Diepsloot service groups As well as being a service group of the Randburg congregation Diepsloot has its own service groups to manage its members The followings are the service groups:

Diepsloot service group GVV Welcoming Service group El-roi Nchafatso Society catechism Jehova Jire En-Hakkore Badira Mmogo Diepsloot service group GVV Welcoming Service group

Gereformeerde Vrouens vereneging (GVV)

En-Hakkore Service group

Catechism classes

El-Roi Service group

Nchafatso Society The service group help in times of bereavement They help with money if you are the member of the society and also with cooking during the funeral of their member. They also offer emotional support For more info go to the internet and search for: Burial society versus the church in the black society of South Africa, article by Dr Semenya

Jehovah jire Service group

Badira Mmogo ( working together) They do deco and catering for the church This was done to maintain order in the kitchen. Before this service group everybody would be in the kitchen claiming to know how to cook.

Welcoming Service group The service group help with collecting the information of the visitors and also to make follow ups in them ( e.g sending them smses etc.) They also help in supplying our church information to the members who wish to join our church. They are also responsible in organising some sort of welcoming functions and other activities for our new members.

Why so many service groups? We are trying to build what it is called in Afrikaans a lidmate Kerke No one should be idle or motionless Model is based on 1 Corinthians 12 Or read an article written by Prof Gert Breed ’n Begronde bedieningsmodel vir die diakonia van die gemeente’ ( A founded model for ministry in the Reformed Church of Randburg (RCR)

Programmes Theological training For the church to grow we focused on a area of training of students. Currently we are having 10 students They are registered for Diploma with Mukhanyo, some are here in Potch and some study via Docenda

Some of the Students with Kwena

Apprentice Programme The growth in our church made us to realize that one Reverend cannot minister to all members. ( we have 480 members) The programme aim to identify and develop members who wants to be reverends in the near future. The apprentice are expected to perform all the duties of the reverends except those only an ordained minister is permitted to do.

Apprentice Pascalis Mateba

Diepsloot Training Programme (DTP)  This programme’s objective is to equip the youth of our church with skills. It includes sending our youth on a variety of courses, like: domestic work and child-care courses; the ABET Facilitators Course; cashier courses, gardening courses, etc. The economy is currently in a terrible state and most of the youth in Diepsloot and also in our church are either unemployed or employed in fields unrelated to their studies (although that is not bad in itself).

OUT-REACH PROGRAMMES

NCHAFATSO TRAINING PROGRAMME CENTRE (NCP): NPO NO: 137-376 Empowering the community of Diepsloot through education and skills

Introduction and Details of the organisation NCHAFATSO: Is a professional registered NGO in the community based on providing ABET (Adult Basic Education and Training) and Skills Development Programmes. Please visit: Social development web site to confirm our details: www.dsd.gov.za/npo/index.php thereafter click on “register of Nonprofit organization”. By the “search” on the right type our NPO number:137-376 or type our organization name as mentioned on the first slide. The main aim of NCHAFATSO is to give the people who were previously disadvantaged Education; and skills.

Introduction and Details of the organisation NCHAFATSO will look to have the following: Class Rooms – a place where the lessons can take place as well as the office, an area where Skills programs will take place e,g. Carpentry, Boiler making and Computer training. In total we need close to seven rooms. Currently we are using one big Church Hall for the lessons. Land- NCHAFATSO has a land of about one hectare. We need Garden tunnels and irrigation systems to start farming.

Mission Ensuring that all our learners enroll on skills development programs such as Computer studies, building, Carpentry etc. Accommodate all cultural diversity. Empower the Community of Diepsloot by providing free basic education Provide ABET education and skills to people of Diepsloot from the age of 18 and above. Assist community members to find meaning in their lives Address the ravage of hunger and extreme poverty.

Vision Create impact on poverty by increasing availability to learn and have skills that will help them after completing the course. Making sure that people of Diepsloot are integrated into current educational, economic and social institutions through skills development programs. NCHAFATSO will empower school leavers and uplift their skills through sponsors and thereafter they will be ready to join up market employment. To provide a different type of service compared to others.

Long term goals To be one of the leading NGO in our community by giving better service to our learners and the community. Ensuring that all disadvantaged learners have a second chance to complete their studies.

Focused Programme area Offer Adult Basic Education and Training (ABET) Farming Provide skills development programs Computer Carpentry Boiler making Electrician

Geographical coverage NCHAFATSO will be operating in Diepsloot region in the North of Johannesburg. The centre is located at the property and in the building owned by the Reformed Church Randburg in Diepsloot; we are thus a community-based source of support, living within the Diepsloot community whom we serve. We are part of Diepsloot.

Targeted Population Group Both female and male learners from the age of 18 and above that are willing to take another step in their lives.

Governance NCHAFATSO will have separate policies on the following issues: Human Resource [ HR Policy] Inclusion [Diversity Policy to include disadvantaged] Financial [ Financial Management Policy and Guideline] Gender [Gender Policy] Safety policy Basic conditions of employment Act.

NCHAFATSO Research Our researches have shown that many community members don’t have basic education and skills that might help them to find employment or start a small business for them to survive. Some have financial challenges that makes it difficult for them to attend school

Taking care of funds NCHAFATSO have NGO account where all funds are kept. The treasurer will be the one looking at the current finances of the NGO. All the record of the items purchased will be kept safe in our finance file by the treasurer. NCHAFATSO will work hand in hand with independent auditors as it is prescribed by the laws governing the NGO’s

Crèche We have a crèche which is run by Lerato Kobedi. Currently the crèche is having 80 children. It caters children from 3 to 6 years old kids. It is a challenge to run a crèche due to the lack of funds however Randburg is donating food and also helping with some money to the crèche. The parents contribute only R200.00

Some of the Crèche kids

Directors and Members David Kwena Semenya: Chairperson: 073 22 88179/kwena@gkrandburg.org.za Colleen Mmateng Tshwene: MD: 084 037 5368. CTswene@sars.gov.za Koko Johannah Modige: Secretary: 072 088 6196/ diepsloot@gkrandburg.org.za

Directors and Members Tshediso Pascalis Mateba: Manager: 073 918 9237. tshedisomateba@gmail.com Sejabaledi Abrina Dolo: Treasurer: 073 072 6033. dolosejaabrina@gmail.com Mathabo Nkiane: Co-coordinator:083 413 3219. mathabo.nkiane@gmail.com